Give physician his full credit

Your Nov. 7 article “Volunteers wanted for PTSD study of treatment some call a miracle” was a compelling story of the potential benefits of an emerging treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder. As a contributor to this piece, however, I would like to correct how I described Dr. (Col.) Sean Mulvaney in the article.

Dr. Mulvaney is a hero for his pioneering work with stellate ganglion block and PTSD. A true professional, he has consistently demonstrated the intellectual curiosity and passion to find better ways to care for his patients throughout his career.

In 2009, Dr. Mulvaney corroborated earlier work by Dr. Eugene Lipov in Chicago by introducing stellate ganglion block for PTSD to the Department of Defense.

What motivated Dr. Mulvaney was a desire to help his patients who felt their only options were taking medications — some with side effects of severe sleepiness or erectile dysfunction.

For years, Dr. Mulvaney proceeded in a methodical, safe and reasonable manner. He received the appropriate fellowship-level medical education and endorsements, had stellate ganglion block added to his medical credentials, and has safely treated and helped over 600 patients with this technique. Within the DOD, Dr. Mulvaney is the authority on this procedure and should rightly and publicly be acknowledged as such.